And Then He Saved Me
by Loki Zentra
Summary: Mae Grady has nothing left. Her brother is fighting in Iraq, and the rest of her family is dead. When Special Agent Gibbs shows up to investigate her Marine father's death, a friendship evolves, and shakes both their worlds.
1. A Bad Start

-1"Keep that music down!" My father's booming voice was the last thing I wanted to hear coming from the other side of my door.

"Dad, you're ruining my mellow flow!" I shouted as I switched from Lotus position to the mountain pose.

"Yeah, well you're ruining my sleep flow. Keep it down!"

"Fine!" I turned around to the radio beside me and pushed the volume down. I waited until I heard my father's footsteps walk back to his room before I went to a raised arm pose.

A few hours later, Enya was singing about Avalon or something when I decided it was time to put up for the night. I turned off the radio, and went to put my pajamas on. When I got back from the bathroom, I could hear voices. My dad and I were the only people in the house, so I checked my radio again, but it was completely off. Right then and there my training kicked in. Being the daughter of a marine, I had been taught a few things about protecting myself. I grabbed the browning I kept in my bedside table, and started down the hallway to my father's room. I got to the door, and found my dad standing beside his bed. I opened my mouth to ask what was wrong, when I spotted another person in the room.

He was tall, about the same height as my father, but anything more I couldn't tell. The light in the room wasn't on. He was wearing all black. First thought through my mind: intruder. I clicked the safety off the gun and pointed it at the man I didn't know. He said something to my father. It sounded Spanish, but he spoke so fast, I couldn't translate. Whatever he said, my father's eyes grew wide. Wide with fear. The man raised his own gun and fired. I fired. I got the man in his arm, and he whirled around to see me standing by the door. He hissed at me, actually _hissed_, and jumped out the window. It was a one story house, I saw the man run. I wanted to chase him down, but my father needed attention first.

"Maebh!" He wheezed, so I knew he took a hit in the chest. I tore a piece of my oversized pajama shirt off, and applied pressure to the wound. I needed to stop the bleeding.

"Come on, dad! You survived Desert Storm, you can survive this!" I tried to blink back the tears as they welled in my eyes.

"Look after your brother!" He smiled, and looked at the ceiling.

"Oh no you don't! Look at me! Stay with me, dad! You can beat this, and look after Damion yourself!" The sound of police sirens. A neighbor must have heard the gunshots and called them. "Dad, come one! Please! Don't leave me, too! I need you!"

"Mae? Are you ok?" Sherriff Marx's voice sifted through the house, but I couldn't hear him.

"Dad! Dad! Dad!" I screamed it over and over again. I couldn't stop. He wouldn't react. He wouldn't move. Why wouldn't he move? Why wouldn't he wake up, and tell me this was all a bad dream? Why wouldn't he answer me?

Three hours later I was sitting in the police department, staring into an ebony black cup of hours old coffee. I tried not to move, every time I did, flakes of my father's blood fell on the table. I was sick of looking at them. I was covered in his blood. My face was blood red from crying. My fingers was blood red from griping my own arms, making pain to assure myself that I was awake. Blood. Blood. Blood.

The door to the office I was sitting in opened, but I didn't look up. I didn't want to see another person look at me with pity or sympathy in their eyes. I wanted to be left alone. I wanted to go home and sit on my bed, and cry myself to sleep. It was four in the morning. I just wanted it all to end, if only for a few hours.

"Hi. I'm Special Agent Gibbs, NCIS. That's Naval-"

"I know what it means." I cut the man off. "If you want my statement, or whatever, the cops already have it."

"No, I just thought that you might like some company." he set a new cup of coffee in front of me, and I looked up at him.

"How long have you been an NCIS agent, Agent Gibbs?"

"Too long."

"Uh-huh. And in all that time, have you ever known a person who just lost someone to want company?" I raised an eyebrow.

"I can't say that I have." He smiled at me. I knew that I was being… difficult, to say the least, but I didn't feel like humoring this guy. I just wanted to go home, or at least what was left of it.

"Mrs. Grady, please comply with Agent Gibbs." A cop was sitting in the corner of the office. I had forgotten about him.

"That's ok. Perhaps this is a visit better suited for another time. Best for you to get some sleep, eh?" Gibbs smiled at me, and I silently thanked him.

"Fine. Mae, you can go home. We'll call you this afternoon." The cop said.

"Thank you." I whispered to Gibbs, and I walked out of the office, back to the house I once called home.


	2. His name is Tony

-1I had only slept for a few hours, and here I was again, giving Special Agent Gibbs a death glare. He was smiling. I hardened my gaze, but he didn't stop smiling that dang smile. I wanted to punch him in the face.

"You had a reason for coming here, I assume." I wanted to get this over with.

"Yes, I have a few questions for you." He opened a little notepad that he took from his pocket.

"Of course." I prepared myself mentally for what was coming next.

"Did your father have any enemies?" he asked.

"No, everyone in town loved him."

"Did he have any jealous lovers?"

"No, my father was faithful to my mother."

"And where is she?"

"Dead."

"I'm sorry."

"It's ok. She died last year. She was in one of the Twin Towers." I found it surprisingly easy to talk to Agent Gibbs.

"I know how hard it is to loose someone. You never really get over it."

"Does it get easier?"

"Easier, yes. But, it never really goes away."

"Did you have any other questions?" I noticed we were getting off the subject. I really didn't want to be nice to Gibbs. I wanted to be mean and ugly, and I didn't know why.

"Yes. The intruder, you told Officer Brandy that he spoke in Spanish. Are you sure?"

"Not really. I took a couple of Years of Spanish, but I couldn't make it out. It sounded around that dialect, at the least." I rubbed the back of my neck as tried to remember.

"How old are you?"

"Excuse me?" the question caught me off guard.

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"Still a minor. They'll assign you to a foster home."

"No, I'll turn eighteen soon. There won't be enough time to even assign a judge, much less get me into a new house. I'll wait it out."

"When is your birthday?"

"November 6th."

"That's funny. Mine is the 10th." He smiled at me, and it made me shiver.

"You're a Scorpio as well. Interesting."

"How so?"

"Scorpios are ruthless and clever. If anyone could find the guy that did this, it would be a Scorpio. Not to mention the fact that your were once a marine."

"how did you know that?"

"Agent Gibbs, I'm a military brat, I think I'd know a marine when I see one." I smiled.

"Do you think we can get him?"

"If you don't, someone will. Karma."

"You believe in it?"

"Whether or not you believe in it, it's there, Agent Gibbs."

"I have just a few more questions, then I'll let you get back to sleep." He cleared his throat, like he didn't like where the conversation was heading.

"Ok, shoot."

"Did you recognize the man/"

"No."

"What were you doing while the man snuck in?"

"I was practicing yoga. It helps me whine down for the night."

"How did you not hear anything?"

"I was listening to music."

"When did you notice the voices?"

"When I turned off my radio to go to bed."

"Is there anyone you can go stay with? The man may come back. Especially since you shot him in the arm, as you told Officer Brandy."

"No, there's no one." I whispered.

"Well, you'll need someone to protect you until we figure this out. I'll send over one of my agents." Gibbs closed his little notebook, and stood up. I escorted him to the door, and watched him drive away.

"I wonder who he'll send?" I muttered to myself, but I was too tired to truly care. I went back to bed.

The next morning I woke up at seven. That was normal. I pulled myself out of bed, and threw on my robe as I walked into the kitchen.

"Dad, is there any coffee made?" Oh right, no dad.

I started a new pot of coffee, and gulped down the first steaming hot cup. I wondered if it were a bad thing that I'd had at least two cups of coffee every morning since I was six, but I didn't care. I was starting on the second cup when my doorbell rang. I rolled my eyes, and made my way to open the door. When I opened the door, there was a man standing there, with a come hither smile and smoldering eyes. I could already tell that this man had only one thing on his mind, and it wasn't selling cookies for his girl scout niece.

"Hi, I'm Anthony DiNozzo. Agent Gibbs sent me."

"Oh, so you're the guy I should stay away from."

"What? What did Gibbs tell you, because he was lying."

"He didn't tell me anything, but now I wonder."

"Ah, you're funny." He pointed at me, and smiled to show his sparkly whites.

"And you're creepy. Come on in."

He entered the living room, and looked around. "Nice place ya got here."

"Thanks. You want something to drink? I've got coffee, tea, and kool-aid." I offered, remembering the little bit of manners my mother was able to teach me.

"Sure, coffee would be awesome." He smiled that smile again, and I rolled my eyes.

"So how will this work? Are you gonna follow me everywhere or something?" I asked, pouring some of my precious gold into a mug for DiNozzo.

"Pretty much. I'll have to sleep over here too."

"Great. Here." I handed him the cup, and rejoined my own."

"You can call Tony, by the way."

"Ok, Tony."

"You got a boyfriend?"

"Yeah, a big biker dude who shoots nosey cops." I joked, smirking.

"Sounds romantic." Tony laughed.

"Yeah. Um, I'll go fix up the guest room." I wanted to get away from this guy, he was just creepy. Gibbs must have been out of his mind when he sent this goon.

I walked down the hallway to the guest room. That means I had to go past my dad's room. I walked past it fast, without looking, and took deep breaths when I got to the guest room. Trying to clear my head, I put fresh sheets on the bed and moved a few boxes to my room. After a few minutes, I noticed that Tony was watching me. No, not me, my butt.

"I do squats everyday. Think I need to do more?" I asked dryly.

"Sorry." He quickly turned away. I think he was blushing.

"You can sleep in this room. I've got wireless internet, if you have a laptop or something." I couldn't help but smile at his embarrassment.

"So, you never really gave me an answer to my question." He clear his throat and looked out the window into the yard.

"What question?"

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No, Tony. I don't." I sighed, hoping that this would be the end of it, but I knew it wouldn't be.

"Really? Now, how is that possible, a cute girl like you?" He smirked.

"I focus on my studies." I lied.

"You're in college?"

"High school."

"How old are you?" He looked surprised. This was going to be fun.

"Seventeen."

"Crap! You're still a minor? Not fair." He rubbed his temple, I had to laugh. It was too perfect.

I walked out of the room, and back to my coffee. I needed a shower. I opened the cabinet above the stove and took out a few pill bottles. Depression, anxiety, OCD, ADHD. Geeze, there was something wrong with me. I gulped down the pills with my coffee, and went to my room.

With Tony in the house, I was glad that I had a bathroom attached to my room. I could take a shower in peace. I grabbed a towel from the hallway, and a new razor. I was about to start the water when the phone rang.

"Don't answer that! I need to get a trace first." Tony yelled form the kitchen. Great. I felt like I couldn't do anything. "Ok, now!"

"Hello?" I spoke into the white phone in my room.

"Ms. Grady?"

"Yes, who is this?"

"Gibbs."

"Geeze, do I have a bone to pick with you."

"Now's not the time. We need to talk." He spoke rapidly, like something was wrong.

"What's happened?"

"Do you know a Marvin Crawley?"

"Yeah, he's one of my dad's friends. They served together." Suddenly, his meaning hit me. "Tell me what I'm thinking didn't happen."

"He's dead. He's been-"

"-shot." I finished for him. I felt light-headed. "He was a good friend." The room started spinning. "He taught me how to fish." The room got dark. I fell down, and blacked out.


	3. And then there was one

-1"Ms. Grady? Ms. Grady?" A voice called out.

"Mae." I answered.

"What?"

"My name is Mae." I groaned.

"Right. Are you ok?" Who was talking to me? I opened my eyes to see Agent Gibbs standing over me.

"Depends on your definition of the word." I raised up, and looked around. I was still in my house, lying on the couch.

"I told you she was funny." Tony was sitting across from me in my dad's chair. I wanted him out of that chair. Only dad was allowed to sit there. He loved that chair.

"Yeah, I'm funny, and you're just creepy." I rubbed my forehead. A bandage? Did I hit my head?

"You had a little bleeding. You hit your head on your bedside table when you passed out." Gibbs smiled at me.

"Tell me about Marvin." I suddenly remembered everything.

"He was shot in the chest." Gibbs replied.

"Did the bullet match the one in my dad?"

"Abby's working on it." Tony sighed.

"Abby?"

"Our forensic scientist. She's the best." Gibbs smiled.

"Does this look like a serial killer?" I looked Gibbs in the eyes. I dared him to lie to me.

"Two death don't make a serial killer."

"If it is, I think I know who's next."

"Who?" Tony was on his feet, an excited look in his eyes.

"A few miles out of town there's a Ranch. Every few weeks Kyle, another guy that served with my father, comes down to check on things. He, my father, and Marvin were best friends. They did everything together. If it's connected, he's next." My voice was stable, which surprised me.

"Tony, go to the Ranch. Take Kate with you." Gibbs ordered, and, like a good puppy, Tony did as he was told.

"Aren't you going?" I asked.

"No, you just hit your head, you don't need to be left alone for a few hours."

"Well, as long as you're here, I'd better be hospitable. Do you want something to eat, or drink?" I looked at the clock, it was around lunch time.

"Lunch does sound good." He smiled at me. I smiled back, and went into the kitchen.

"Do you have any food allergies? I don't want to send you to the hospital."

"No, I'm not a very picky eater."

"Well, that's good to know." I pulled out a skillet and some food from the fridge and started my journey.

I've always loved cooking. It's always been my retreat when something didn't go my way. It's always made me feel better. When I first started cooking, I was terrible, but I've vastly improved since then. I was almost done, when Gibbs peeped over my shoulder.

"It smells great." He took a deep sniff.

"Thanks. It's pasta. It's the easiest thing to make in the house. I was supposed to go shopping today, but…" I couldn't finish my sentence.

"Right." God bless him for not making me finish. I fixed us both plates, and we sat down at the kitchen tbale.

"So, I take it you're from DC."

"Yeah."

"How does it feel to be so close to people who screw you over?"

"What/"

"The IRS building." I laughed.

"Oh, Tony was right, you are funny."

"Yeah, that reminds me. Why did you send him? I'm more afraid of him that the killer."

"how so?"

"He acts like at any moment he's going to rape me."

"That's Tony for you. He won't do anything, trust me."

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because, I've been in your situation before. I know what it feels like, and I'm going to help you." His eyes were warm now, not cold like usual.

"Right. Well, eat up. Who knows when the next time you'll get to eat will be. You're job has strange hours."

"How do you know so much about investigations?"

"My uncle is a cop, and I watch CSI a lot. Plus, I've got a cousin who works in DOD. She keeps me up to speed on procedures and stuff. She wants me tyo work there one day."

"Will you?"

"I don't know. My dad wanted me to be a Marine, and until now, that was the plan."

"What changed your mind?"

I thought about this for a moment. Why had I changed my mind? I really wasn't sure. But I was. I knew why, but I didn't want to admit it out loud.

"Maybe I can serve my country better doing something else?" I kept my eyes down, staring at the pasta, not wanting to look Gibbs in the eyes.

"Perhaps. Have you ever thought of working for a investigative squad?" He took a bite off his plate.

"Of course I've thought of it. Everyone whose seen an episode of CSI has thought of it." I pulled my blonde hair out of my face and into a ponytail that was around my wrist. I hated my hair, it was so long that it got into food and stuff.

"Not like that, I mean seriously."

"I guess not."

"How are your grades in school?"

"Average, I guess." I wondered why he was asking me so many questions.

"What are you going to do about money with your dad gone?" He was changing the subject.

"Well, I get some from the government, death benefits, ya know, and then I have a job. And I happen to have a well off Uncle that could help me out if I were in a jam."

"Well, that's good."

A phone rang, and Gibbs pulled a cell phone from his pocket.

"Hold on." He told me, and then went into the living room.

I didn't even have to listen to the conversation that Gibbs was having on the phone to know that Kyle was dead. I was right, there was a serial killer on the loose, and I could be next!


	4. And then there was one Gibbs' POV

-1**AN: This chapter is in Jethro's POV**

"What happened?" I growled.

"She passed out when you were on the phone with her!" Tony was pacing around the room. Good, let him be scared. He shouldn't have let her out of his sight. If he had been watching her like he had been told, she wouldn't have hit her head.

"Ms. Grady! Ms. Grady!" I shook her, trying to get her to wake up.

"Mae." She whispered.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"My name is Mae." Again only a whisper.

"Right. Are you ok?" Did she know I was the one talking to her?

"Depends on your definition of the word." She sat up, steadying herself, observing her surroundings. This kid acted just like an agent. An experienced agent at that.

"I told you she was funny." Now that Mae was awake, Tony had calmed down. He was sitting in a chair across the room.

"Yeah, I'm funny, and you're just creepy." She rubbed her forehead, and her hand stopped on the bandage I had put there.

"You had a little bleeding. You hit your head on your bedside table when you passed out." I smiled gently at her, and her eyes went wide.

"tell me about Marvin." Good, she remembered.

"He was shot in the chest." Tony's eyes went wide when I told her this. True, it wasn't like me to reveal this kind of information to a victim's relative, and I didn't know why I told her.

"Did the bullet match the one they found in my dad?" She really knew a lot about crime scene investigation, it surprised me.

"Abby's working on it." Tony answered for me, thinkning I'd give away too much again. Thank God for him.

"Abby?" She asked.

"Our forensic scientist. She's the best." I smiled, and visions of Abby processing the bullet went through my head. She really was the best.

"Does this look like a serial killer?" She looked me dead in the eyes. I knew why. She was daring me to lie to her, because she already knew the answer. It was a test to see if she could trust me.

"Two deaths don't make a serial killer." Was all I could say.

"If it is, I think I know who's next." She looked to Tony, who had jumped out of his chair.

"Who?" He looked excited.

"A few miles out of town there's a Ranch. Every few weeks Kyle, another guy that served with my father, comes down to check on things. He, my father, and Marvin were best friends. They did everything together. If it's connected, he's next." Mae's voice was stable, detached.

"Tony, go to the Ranch. Take Kate with you." I ordered, and he did my bidding. I love being Boss.

"Aren't you going?" Mae asked.

"No, you just hit your head, you don't need to be left alone for a few hours." I answered. I told the truth, but it felt like I was lying.

"Well, as long as you're here, I'd better be hospitable. Do you want something to eat, or drink?" She stood, and when I saw that she could stand without falling over, I replied.

"Lunch does sound good." we smiled, and I watched her go into the kitchen.

"Do you have any food allergies? I don't want to send you to the hospital."

"No, I'm not a very picky eater." I was barely able to keep myself from laughing.

"Well, that's good to know." I could hear her pulling out skillets and food from the fridge.

She took about an hour to cook what smelt like pasta. While she did, I took a peek around her house. It was ordinary, clean, and tasteful. The kind of house everyone dreams of. Not too small, but in no way big. It was modest, and comfortable. There were pictures on the walls of about nine different people. Mae's file said she had six siblings, most of whom had died in 9-11 with her mother. Now, with her father gone, it was just her and her older brother, Damion.

After a while, I peeked in over Mae's shoulder, and took a whiff of the pasta. "It smells great."

"Thanks. It's pasta. It's the easiest thing to make in the house. I was supposed to go shopping today, but…" SHe didn't finish her sentence, and I wasn't going to make her.

"Right." I said, smiling gently.

"So, I take it you're from DC."

"Yeah." How did she know that?

"How does it feel to be so close to people who screw you over?"

"What?"

"The IRS building." She laughed. God, her laugh was like soft silk.

"Oh, Tony was right, you are funny."

"Yeah, that reminds me. Why did you send him? I'm more afraid of him that the killer."

"How so?" Geeze, what had Tony done now?

"He acts like at any moment he's going to rape me."

"That's Tony for you. He won't do anything, trust me." Note to self, kill Tony.

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because, I've been in your situation before. I know what it feels like, and I'm going to help you." I was a little hurt that she didn't trust me, but I understood.

"Right. Well, eat up. Who knows when the next time you'll get to eat will be. You're job has strange hours."

"How do you know so much about investigations?"

"My uncle is a cop, and I watch CSI a lot. Plus, I've got a cousin who works in DOD. She keeps me up to speed on procedures and stuff. She wants me to work there one day."

"Will you?"

"I don't know. My dad wanted me to be a Marine, and until now, that was the plan."

"What changed your mind?"

"Maybe I can serve my country better doing something else?" She was making it a point to keep her eyes away from mine own.

"Perhaps. Have you ever thought of working for a investigative squad?" I took a bite of the meal she had made. Words could not so justice to the remarkable taste!

"Of course I've thought of it. Everyone whose seen an episode of CSI has thought of it." She pulled back her long hair, and put it in a pony tail.

"Not like that, I mean seriously."

"I guess not."

"How are your grades in school?"

"Average, I guess." Only average? She didn't seem like the type of person to only get average grades. I'd make it a point to check on those.

"What are you going to do about money with your dad gone?" I needed to change the subject.

"Well, I get some from the government, death benefits, ya know, and then I have a job. And I happen to have a well off Uncle who could help me out if I were in a jam." SHe knew I was changing the subject. Bright girl.

"Well, that's good." Just when I was running out of things to say, my phone rang. It was Kate.

"Hold on." I told Mae, and went into the living room. "Yea, Gibbs."

"Well, I've got good news and bad news, Boss."

"Good news first."

"We found Kyle."

"Bad news?"

"He's dead. Shot in the chest. I already called Ducky."

"Good. I'll be right there."


	5. Eyelash curlers and shot guns

-1**AN: Jethro's POV**

"Why did you bring her?" Kate asked when I pulled into the driveway of the ranch.

"No choice. Someone's got to be watching her." I replied.

"I'll watch her back at her house."

"No, I need both you and Tony here."

"What about probie?" Tony had this bad habit of popping up out of no where. I just gave him a hard stare, and he took me to the body. Mae was following me from a safe distance. I wanted to make sure the body wasn't too bad before she saw it.

"One bullet in the chest. Same MO as the other two." Kate pointed to the wound when we got to the body. It was lying in a horse corral.

"Three bodies gives us room to declare a serial killer." Tony was taking pictures. I handed Mae a pair of gloves.

"Rule number one, always wear gloves at a crime scene." I said. Tony and Kate exchanged glances, but continued working. Was I acting weird? I didn't think so.

"Is it Kyle?" I asked. She seemed reluctant to look at the body, but she did. She went rigid, and backed away.

"Yeah, that's him." Her face was devoid of any emotions. She would make a great agent.

"He's treating her the same way he treated you when you first met." Tony was whispering things I didn't care to hear to Kate. I gave them both stares, and they got back to work.

"Mae, was there anyone else in town that your dad served with?" I asked.

"No, but Kurt lives a few towns over. Dad didn't talk about him much though." She seemed lost in thought. I wondered what she was thinking.

"Any others?"

"No, just the four. They were best friends in high school, and enlisted together." Mae squeezed her eyes together.

"There's no shame in crying, Mae."

"No, but it's still a weakness I can't afford right now." Her face grew hard. "I want this guy stopped."

"We'll get him."

**AN: Now Mae's POV**

Two hours ago, I saw another dead body. My second one this week. Hell, my second one in all my life! Kyle was not only my dad's best friend, he was my good friend, too. As was Marvin. Marvin taught me how to fish, Kyle taught me how to fight, and my dad taught me how to defend myself. All these men had made me into who I was today. Though that wasn't much. I was just a weak little girl who couldn't keep the people closest to her from dying. I was now sitting in Kurt's kitchen, drinking a cup of coffee while he and Tony talked. There was someone out there trying to kill Kurt, and I couldn't do anything about it. At the same time, he may be trying to kill me, since I shot him. The thought of dying sent a shiver down my spine, and I touched the pocket knife in my pocket like a security blanket. Kurt came into the kitchen, and sat down beside me.

"Where's Tony?" I asked, staring at my coffee.

"He went to the bathroom. How are you holding up?" Kurt rubbed the back of his neck. He was never really good with the whole feelings thing.

"As well as can be expected. I just can't believe someone would do this. Dad never had a quarrel with anyone, and neither did Marvin or Kyle. Why would someone kill them?"

"Well, sometimes people do things that they themselves don't understand."

"And, if you think about it, it has to be someone they knew! How else could they know that they were stationed together, or had any connection at all." I saw Kurt clench his fists at the idea. It made me take a double-take at the rest of him. Kurt had short dusty blonde hair, still cut Marine style, and dark brown eyes. He was tan, and well built. His hands were calloused, he was a working man. I looked at his arms, there was his tattoo that he got when he served. It was simple. _Semper Fi. _Straight and to the point. Just above the tattoo, there was a large bandage. "Hey, what's with the gauze? Did you get hurt?"

**Jethro's POV**

"Hey Abbs, what did you find?" I asked. Abby looked at me from the computer screen.

"We just got results back from balistics. The shot that Mae fired, from where she was standing, must have hit the killer in the arm."

"So, we're looking for someone with a injured arm. DiNozzo, check hospital records."

"On it, Boss." Tony replied, and ran out the door.

"Anything else, Abbs?"

"Yeah, all three bullets match. I ran a scan, and there is only one gun that fires these rounds. Better yet, only one person in that area has one."

**Mae's POV**

"Tony sure is taking a while. I wonder what's keeping him. He's supposed to be protecting us." I tapped my fingers on the table impatiently.

"He's probably just taking a dump." Kurt laughed. That was Kurt, always disgusting.

"Well he needs to hurry up, I gotta go, too." Kurt's phone rang, and he got up, but I forced him back down. "No one needs to know you're home. For all they know, I'm over here for a few days." I answered it. "Hello?"

"Mae?" It was Gibbs.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"We know who the killer is."

"Really? Who!"

"It's-" The power went out, and the phone died.

"Hello? Hello? Gibbs?"

"Are you ok, Mae?" Kurt called form the kitchen.

"Yeah, the power's out. Funny thing is, the phone isn't connected to the electricity." Instantly, I got an eerie feeling. I took out my knife, and flipped it open. There was someone behind me.

"You really are a nosey kid. You always have been." Kurt put his hands on my shoulders. "You look so much like your mother. If your father hadn't stolen her from me, you'd be my kid." My breathing got faster.

"You did it." I wheezed.

"Yeah, but I never meant to hurt you, Mae. I planned on adopting you, and you could be my kid, like you should have been."

"You killed them all."

"The other two knew it was me. They knew I was capable of it, so they had to go, too."

"They trusted you. I trusted you."

"Of course, I'm a trustworthy person. I could've been real good to you, but you shot me, Mae. You shot me. That made me angry."

"Where's Tony?" I was shaking now.

"He's not going to rescue you, Mae. You've been bad, and now you have to be punished. A good father always knows when to punish his daughter."

"I'm not your daughter!" I screamed.

I spun around and jabbed the knife into his neck, he screamed. I ran upstairs. I knew he kept a shot gun in the hallway closet. I grabbed it, and pumped it. I ran into a bedroom, and jumped out the window. Two stories down. A dumb move. I hurt my ankle, but it wasn't important. I had to get away. I started limping down the street, I didn't get very far. He was right behind me.

"Mae! Get back here!"

"Help! Help!" I screamed as loud as I could, but I knew it was no use. The nearest neighbors were miles away. So, I did the only thing I could think of.

The one thing my dad and his friend had taught me how to do. I turned and faced Kurt. I aimed the shot gun, and pulled the trigger once. He cried out in pain, but kept coming. Twice. He fell, rolled, and got back up. Three times. He fell to the ground, writhing, but staying down. Four times. He twitched. Five times. He stopped moving. Six times. The gun was empty.

I was breathing heavily, and rapidly, with no pattern. My ankle hurt so much, it couldn't hold me up anymore. I fell to the ground. The gun fell from my hands. My side, it hurt so much. I put my fingers to it, there was a branch stuck inside me. I guess I took more damage on the two story fall than I thought. There was so much blood. I was loosing it way too fast. Dang blood. It was getting dark.

**Jethro's POV**

"Oh my God! Kate, go find Tony!" I yelled as I bent down to check Mae for a pulse.

There it was, small, fading, but it was there. Where was Tony? Why wasn't he protecting her? I looked a few yards down the street to see Kurt lying in the road, full of lead. I didn't bother checking him for a pulse, I knew there wasn't one. Mae had killed him. This seventeen year old girl had killed him. I saw the shot gun laying on the ground near her. I checked it for bullets as the paramedics took Mae away. It was empty. She had fired everything into him.

"Good girl." I whispered, as Kate came running up to me.

"We need paramedics in the house. Tony's in the bathroom, unconscious and tied up." She yelled to the men who had put Mae in the ambulance. A second team came out, and went into the house. "The area's secure, Gibbs. What happened?"

"I don't know, but as soon as she wakes up, we'll find out."

Ducky got out of the coroner's van, and looked at Kurt's dead body. "Well, Ms. Grady sure did do a number on you, didn't she?" he laughed, and took a liver temperature.

"How long Duck?" I asked.

"A few minutes. Looks like we just missed it." He and Gerald loaded the body on in the van, and drove away.

"Kate."

"yeah boss, I've pictures, and I'm bagging and tagging."

"Good girl." I jumped in the back of Mae's ambulance, and we went to the hospital.


	6. You should call me sometime

-1**Mae's POV**

"Where am I?" I could barley get the words out of my mouth, my throat hurt so much. Why did it hurt? There was a tube in it, that's why.

"Ms. Grady. Good morning, do you want the tube out?" Someone asked. I nodded, and they took it out. "I'm Dr. Landing. Your in the hospital, do you remember why?"

"Yea." Who could forget something like one of your most trusted friends trying to kill you?

"Alright. Do you feel like talking to the cops?"

"Yes."

"It's about time." That was Gibbs' voice, I knew it.

"You were late."

"I got there just in time actually." He smiled, geeze I loved his smile.

"How long have I been out?" I asked.

"A few days. It's November sixth. Happy birthday."

"Great way to spend my eighteenth birthday." I smirked, but shook my head.

"Yeah, how about after they release you, I take you to dinner?"

"That sounds nice."

"Great. And, I'll need your statement." He smiled at me the entire time I was telling him what happened. He wrote down everything I said. Not much happened, but it seemed like the entire event took days. I guess time really does slow down in bad situations. When he was finished, tony came in.

"You were a great body guard." I joked.

"Yeah, I'm awesome." he rubbed the back of his neck in shame. "I hear today's your birthday." His eyes lit up. "You're 18 now, right?"

"For you, I'm still17." I smiled, and let him know I was joking. He could be a good person, and I just didn't know it. Or, he could be a convicted sex offender. That seemed more likely.

"It seems like I'm making a habit of finding you both staring at me after I pass out." I joked.

"Yeah, well, this'll be the last time. We're heading back to DC tomorrow." Tony laughed.

"Really? That sucks." I faked a pout.

"Well, other people need murders solved."

"Yeah. Thank you, guys. You'll never know what you've done for me."

"We didn't do much, you ended up killing the guy, while I was tied up in the bathroom. Seems like you didn't need us at all."

"Now that's just not true. Thank you. Really." I gave them my first real smile in days. I even forgot about everyone that had died for a moment. For once I didn't feel like crying. I didn't feel like dying. I felt like I had something to live for. Now I knew what I wanted to do after High School. And I owed it all to them. I was going to help people. People like me.

It took three hours of test and observations for the doctors to agree that I could leave. I owe them for saving my life, but dang they were annoying! I went home and took a shower. AHH!! I my first shower in days. It felt wonderful. I applied my make-up and put my hair up in a braid. I pulled a black dressy shirt on over my head, put on a pair of formfitting jeans, and slipped on a pair of strappy black heels. I was spritzing myself with perfume when my doorbell rang.

Gibbs was wearing what I had last seen him in, a pair of black khakis, a black polo shirt, and a black jacket. Work clothes. It made sense, why would he pack anything else when he first came down?

"You look beautiful." He said.

"Thanks. You look very handsome."

"You know we're going out as friends, right?" He raise an eyebrow at me.

"Gibbs, I'm not looking for a boyfriend, but a friend sounds perfect." I smiled at him innocently, and he laughed. He opened the passenger side door of his car for me, and I slid in. it was a really nice car. Silver convertible.

"I hope you like Sinatra." He indicated the music coming from his speakers.

"Oh, I love Frank. I listen to him all the time."

"That surprising."

"how so?"

"Usually people your age have no respect for the classics."

"Gibbs, if you haven't noticed that I'm not your usual kid, then you're not paying attention."

"You're not a kid, Mae. You're much more than that. And, it's Jethro."

"Well, Jethro, you're not the kind of person I'd expect to work for NCIS."

"Really? What do you see me doing instead?"

"Hmmm… a rehabilitation center."

"What?" He was laughing so hard.

"Yeah, you'd be the one beating the crap out of junkies, like that guy from The Cleaners."

"The Cleaner?"

"It's a show on TV. It's got good ratings."

"I'll have to check it out some time."

"Yeah." I smiled.

He pulled into a parking lot about half and hour later. I gasped when I saw where he was taking me. Vesuvius that the most expensive, and highest class restaurant in the tri-state area. The waiters wore tuxes, the small portions of food were overpriced, and the wine was the finest in the world. I felt suddenly underdressed. I think Gibbs would have, too, but he didn't strike me as the type of person who cared about appearances.

Dinner was nice, quiet, and all around perfect after the hell I'd been in for the last week. Apparently I can pass for twenty-one, because the waiter didn't think twice about giving me wine.

"So, Gibbs, tell me more about you. You know all about me."

"What should I tell you?" He asked.

"What are you're hobbies? What do you like to do?"

"I build boats."

"Like schooners or fishing boats?"

"Fishing boats."

"My dad made those, too. Is it just something retired Marines do?"

"I guess so." He laughed.

"There's still half a boat down in my basement. I think I'll finish it for him."

"Do you know how?"

"He was teaching me. Anything I don't know I can look up on the web."

"Or, you could ask me."

"But, you won't be here. You're leaving tomorrow."

"I have a cell phone, you know."

"Are you trying to tell me something, Jethro?" I gave him a mischievous smirk.

"You should call me sometime, that's all." He smiled, such a simple action, so much meaning. What was the meaning? I had no idea.


	7. A Visit From Uncle

Its been about three days since Jethro left. Three days for closure, and today was the day. I kept my face stone hard as I watched men dressed in Navy uniforms lower my father into the ground. Standing beside me was Luanne, my best friend. She'd been there for me when my mother and siblings died, now she was here for me for my father. Her face was just as hard as mine. She had a way of saying the right thing, by not saying anything at all. She was wearing a black pant suit, like a gothic Hillary Clinton.

Standing on the other side of me was my Uncle Sean. He was a very mysterious man. I only saw him once a year, during the winter break. Every year, Sean threw a New Year's Ball. He always bought me a beautiful dress, and accessories. While I was there, he always showered me with gifts. My father never liked it, he preferred that I live a subtle and non-material life. I don't know how my Uncle made his money, but I was never brave enough to ask. He had flown in from Ireland just for his brother's funeral.

The priest finished his sermon, and the funeral party began to disperse. I watched my uncle get into the back of a rented town car, and ride away. Luanne was griping my hand, reminding me that this was no time to cry. I smoothed down the hem of my pleated skirt, and walked back to the funeral home parking lot, where my Camero was parked.

The Camero was black with a white stripe down the front. I'd always wanted a car like this, and I finally got one. It was a gift from Sean. His way of dealing with grief was buying the most expensive things he could find, and then giving them away. A good boost for the economy, I guess, assuming he bought them in the US.

We got in, and, for a few minutes, just sat in silence. I took a deep breath, and put the keys in the ignition. The radio blared on. It was screeching out my mix CD of Mindless Self Indulgence and Hollywood Undead. Luanne reached over, and turned it off.

"It's a nice car." She said, finally.

"Yeah. It's a 1998 Camero. Originally red, put painted over. The hood is not the original, and there's a diesel engine, not normal." Talking cars always made me feel better. There were very few things I knew about, but one was cars. I was such a buff.

"You gonna work on it?" She was staring at the tree wwe were parked in front of.

"No, I think I'm going to finish up that boat dad was making." I put the car into reverse, and backed out of the parking lot. When we got on the main highway, Luanne looked at me.

"Do you remember what your dad told us when we were at your mother's funeral?" she asked.

'He said a lot of things."

"He said that we should be happy for her, because she's in a better place now. Wishing that she was still here would have been selfish. I think it's the same for him. For you to want him to be here for you, is selfish."

'I know. I don't want him to come back, I just wish I could have said something more to him than, 'yea dad, I'll turn the music down'." I gripped the steering wheel hard, but my eyes were dry. Thank god for little miracles.

"Semper Fi." She looked out the window, unable to look at me.

"Yea, Semper Fi."

"What are you going to do now?"

"I'm eighteen now. I'm going to the recruitment office in a few days."

"Recruitment?"

"Air Force. I wanna fly a plane." I turned off the highway, and into the business district of my town.

"Your dad wanted you to be a Marine." She looked shocked.

"Well, dad's not here." I pulled up into my driveway, not surprised to see a town car already sitting in my father's parking space.

"But, it seems your uncle is."

"Yeah, but by the way he acts, you'd think his cat died, not his brother."

"People have different ways of grieving, Mae."

"Whatever." I got out of the car, and walked up the sidewalk, Luanne trailing behind me.

Sean Grady had lived in Ireland all of his life. He was proud of his country, and his family. Which, that was normal for the kind of business he was in. He was a major crime family boss. He was always trying to get Damion to join the family business, and run drugs or something. However, he'd never asked me. He seemed to like me a lot. He never treated me like a niece, more like his own daughter. I didn't know if I could trust him, but I went into my house anyway, and acted like I did.

"My dear, how are you holding up?" Sean was sitting in my father's chair. I wanted him out of it. First Tony, now Uncle? I was starting to get ticked off.

"I'm doing well, Uncle." I kept my face empty, Luanne just looked scared. Obviously, she thought I was going to let my anger get the best of me.

"We need to talk." He looked to Luanne. "Alone, Maebh." Drat, he used my full name. This was obviously important.

"Lu, thanks for coming with me today. Can I call you later?" I asked, without looking at her. I was staring intently at Sean. She looked at me for a second, but I gave her a stare that said 'I'll tell ya about it later', and she left, quietly.

"What do you intend to do, now?" He stood up from the chair, and went to stand by the window. He was watching Luanne leave.

"Enlist. The Air Force always needs new people."

"'Air Force?"

"Yes."

"Now, why would you want to do that? Why don't you just come back to Ireland with me? There's a man I want you to meet. He would make a good husband."

"Uncle, I want nothing to do with the mob, uncle. It took Dad a lot of effort to keep me out of it in the first place, I'm not going to throw that all away." My anger was bubbling up. I was afraid that it might explode soon.

"Word on the grapevine is that you killed a man last week." His words shocked me. Where was he going with this?

"For once, the rumors were true."

"I knew you had it in you."

"Excuse me?" I looked to him, not so much confused, as angry. How could he say that? Did I act like a potential killer?

"You've got the Grady spirit."

"What spirit?"

"Revenge."

"I didn't kill him with the thinking of 'an eye for an eye'! It was me or him! I didn't even know he was the killer!" My top blew off. I couldn't hold in my rage any longer. How dare he accuse me of acting in revenge!

"The Family could use a sharp-shooter." His voice remained calm, steady.

"Are you asking me what I think you are, Uncle?"

"You are no idiot, Maebh."

"You want me to be your, what, personal assassin?"

"Yes."

"No dice."

"Well, I didn't expect you to agree out right. It'll take time."

"there will be no time needed. I will never be a hit woman. I'm going to join the Air Force."

"I have contacts in the Air Force. I can make sure you fail your medical exam."

"Then the Navy."

"also a place I have people."

"I'll try everywhere until I find something! You will not pull me into this." I could hear my father in my voice. I was ticked off, to say the very least. I wanted to hit him, but I knew I couldn't. Bruno had come into the oom, he must have been in the kitchen, and gotten worried because of the shouting. Bruno was Sean's bodyguard, and my cousin.

"Hey, B. How are you?" I instantly calmed down. I was good at instantly switching emotions.

"I'm good Mae. Is there any problems here?" He looked to Sean.

'No, no problem. Though, I think we should be leaving, Bruno. We shall meet another time, Maebh." He left. Thank God.

I sat down at my desk in my room. I was staring at my computer. There was a card on top of the monitor, and I grabbed it. It was an email address. I took a deep breath, and opened up my internet explorer. I opened up my email, and hit compose new. I typed in the email address, and then just stared t the blank page. What was I supposed to write? I started out simple.

_Jethro,_

_How are you? My Uncle is an _

I deleted it. How was I going to do this? I tried about thirty times to write a letter. In the end, this is what I got.

_Special Agent Gibbs,_

_How are you? I hope all is going well, and your investigations don't cause you too much mental, or physical, stress. I know by now I should sound like a broken record, but I want to thank you for saving me again. Today was my father's funeral. I've decided that I'm not going to the other funerals. Does that sound selfish? How's Tony doing? Is he still an incorrigible perverted flirt? Well, I guess I'd better go and clean something. _

_~Mae _

I sent the letter, and went into my room to crawl in my bed, and fall asleep, tears staining my pillows.


	8. Instant Messaging

**A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update this. I wasn't really sure what I wanted to happen next, but now I know. So, read, review, and tell me what cha think! **

**Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING!!! Ok, so Mae is mine, as is Luanne, but all original thingies are not ,mine!!!**

_Mae, _

_I'm doing well. I'm glad to hear you're holding up. No, I don't think it's selfish to not attend the other funerals. Funerals are for the living, not the dead. They won't mind. I'm pretty sure they'd want you to move on, not cause yourself more pain. Yes, you are sounding like a bit of a broken record. I just did my job, and not even that well, seeing as how you were left alone with the shooter. But enough talk of that. Have you decided what to do now that you are an adult? Know that there is always a spot open here at NCIS. You'd make a good investigator. I checked out your grades. Average, you said. You're a liar. You've got a 3.8 GPA. You excelled in science, and Abby would love to teach you about Forensics if you didn't like field work. _

_Yes, Tony is, as ever, an incorrigible perverted flirt. Nice choice of words, Mae. Though, he's not as bad as he could be. I often have to slap him upside the head to get him to behave like an investigator. I sometimes feel like I'm babysitting when I'm around Tony and Kate, our other field agent. Did you ever meet her? You'd like her. She's always giving Tony dry sarcastic insults. Though I act annoyed all the time, it's pretty fun to watch them squabble. That is, when we're not knee deep in a case._

_Cleaning? Well, I've seen many different ways that people use to deal with grief, so that's not too surprising. I once met a woman who played out a normal day in her life with puppets. It was... odd. To say the least. Well, I have to finish filling out paperwork._

_~Jethro _

I smiled, and pressed the reply button.

_Jethro,_

_I'm glad you're doing well. I've hit a bit of a roadblock on what I want to do though. My well off uncle who I told you about, he wants me to go with him to Ireland and marry some guy he chose. I told him I wanted to join the Air force or the Marines, but he's got connections with people who work there, and he's going to make sure that I fail my physical examinations. He's used to getting his way. But, trust me,. I'll find something to do that doesn't involve me going to Ireland. Your offer to work at NCIS is... amazing, but I don't know if I'd be able to handle looking at dead bodies all the time, or at least not for some time. And, why did you feel the need to check my grades? Am I a bad liar, or is it some kind of instinct that you developed over time? _

_Forensics, huh? I've always found it fascinating. Though, if were t join NCIS one day, I think I'd love field work way more. To be stuck in a lab all day with a bunch of machines... it's not me. I'd rather be out there, working with people. Contrary to public belief, I'm a people person._

_I'm glad to hear Tony hasn't changed. Kate, I haven't met her, but I remember seeing her. Squabbling, huh? Sounds like they have a brother-sister connection. It's good to have people working together that have that sort of connection. They always seem to work well together. Don't take you're job too serious, Jethro. I'd make a joke about gray hairs, but it'd be... well stupid. _

_She really used puppets? That's just weird. My cleaning habit is so normal compared to that. I have a cousin who, whenever she's worried or depressed, she'll bake and cook. You'll know when she's upset, because she'll gain ten pounds! Have fun filling out your paperwork, I'm going to go and make dinner for myself and a friend. Her name's Luanne. I'll have to tell you about her sometime._

_~Mae_

I sent the letter, and ten minutes later, Jethro popped up on the instant messenger.

_JGibbs: Good Evening_

I smiled and quickly typed in a reply.

_MarineBrat: Good Evening. You never cease to surprise me, Jethro._

_JGibbs: Oh?_

_MarineBrat: I never figured you for a instant messenger. I didn't think you even knew what it was._

_JGibbs: McGee taught me._

_MarineBrat: McGee?_

_JGibbs: My Probie._

_MarinsBrat: I see. How are you?_

_JGibbs: Grand. And yourself?_

_MarineBrat: Exceptional._

_JGibbs: What's this about your uncle keeping you out of the armed forces?_

_MarinBrat: He wants me to marry a friend of his, sort of like a business deal. They both own large companies, and this would combine them._

Ok, so that was a little bit of a lie, but it got the point across. I wasn't about to tel Gibbs that I was related to a major crime boss. I might not like my uncle too much, but I wasn't about to rat him out to a government agent. That would make me a traitor. Sean is my family, and, therefore, I'm loyal. Though, I suppose, if it ever came down to me or him, I'd look out for number one. The actual odds of something happening to pin us against each other, though, was highly unlikely.

_JGibbs: That's not right. You go ahead and enlist where you want, I'll make sure no one tampers with the paperwork. _

_MarineBrat: Thanks, Jethro. You're a saint._

_JGibbs: No, I'm not. I just know you'd make a good soldier._

I smiled. He was lying. He really looking out for me. My chest tightened up as I thought about Kyle and the others. That's how they treated me, too. No. Now was not the time to break down crying.

_MarineBrat: Don't sell yourself short, Jethro._

_JGibbs: I never do, Mae._

_MarineBrat: I'll bet. How's life at NCIS?_

_JGibbs: Stressful. McGee is clueless, but tries. DiNozzo is always more interested in getting a girl's number than solving murders. Kate is learning quickly, but has a smart mouth. Everything's normal, but still exciting._

_MarineBrat:Despite all this, do you enjoy it?_

_JGibbs: Yes. I love my job. I doubt I'll ever not love it, even when I've lost all faith in the system and have become a bitter old man._

_MarineBrat: So, it's worth it?_

_JGibbs: That and more, Mae. That and more._


End file.
